The Council of the Jewish Agency concluded its meeting this afternoon with the election of a new Executive, a new president of the Jewish Agency, a new chairman of the Council and a new administrative committee and a great ovation to Dr. Cyrus Adler.
Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organization, was elected president of the Jewish Agency, succeeding Dr. Chaim Weizmann. O. E. d’Avigdor Goldsmid, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, was named chairman of the Council, and Dr. Lee K. Frankel, vice-president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York, was named joint-chairman. Professor M. Speyer of Belgium and Robert Szold, chairman of administration of the Zionist Organization of America, were elected vice-chairmen.
The new Executive of the Jewish Agency consists of five persons, in addition to the five members of the Zionist Executive. The five who were elected by the Council are Dr. Maurice Hexter of New York, a member of the former Executive; Dr. Werner Senator of Berlin, also a member of the old Executive; Dr. Bernard Kahn of Berlin, European director of the work of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; Isaac B. Berkson, director of the Jewish Agency school system in Palestine, and Harry Viteles, general manger of the Central Bank of Cooperative Institutions in Palestine.
The Council also elected a new administrative committee of 20 Zionists and non-Zionists. The new committee went into immediate session to electits chairman.
At the same time the Council voted to establish a special office in London to maintain relations with the Mandatory Power.
Before closing a scheme for a million members of the Jewish Agency paying five dollars annually was accepted today by the Council. The plan was fathered by Joseph Sprinzak, Palestine Labor leader. The Council appointed a special committee to investigate during the year the workability of the plan and means for its realization.
The scheme was discussed in the report rendered to the Council by its acting-chairman, Dr. Cyrus Adler. He said that while he was not sure that the idea was feasible he thought it correct and urged its favorable consideration so that there might be a reasonable certainty with regard to budget and income.
At the same time a special effort to raise $1,000,000 in order to meet the extraordinary financial position in which the Executive of the Jewish Agency finds itself was decided upon. The decision was made after the Council had heard a detailed report from Dr. Bernard Kahn on behalf of the budget committee.
Of the $1,000,000 to be raised, $500,000 is needed within the next few months in order to make possible the continuation of the Jewish work in Palestine. The second $500,000 is required as a reserve for a stabilization fund to be set aside after the requirements of the regular budget have been satisfied.
In his report Dr. Kahn pointed out the need of raising $500,000 within the next few months in order to meet the obligations of the Jewish Agency. He cited figures to show that until September $780,000 is necessary.
The Council also resolved to appoint a joint committee from its Executive and the Jewish National Council of Palestine which is to consider proposals for the transference of the Palestine health work to the National Council and to the Hadassah. In other resolutions the Council urged economy and the merging of the various offices of the Keren Hayesod, the Agency’s chief financial instrument, in order to consolidate the administration of these offices.
The Council took note of the negotiations with the National Council concerning the transfer to the Palestine Jewish community of all financial responsibility for health and educational institutions and for individual teachers. The Agency Executive was empowered to bring these negotiations to a close and to take all necessary steps so that the transfer may be effected not later than the beginning of the school year, October, 1932.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
